Absence Of Judge Stalls Hearing On Suit Seeking To Disqualify APC Governorship Candidate In Rivers

Hearing on the suit filed by one of the governorship aspirants of the All Progressives Congress in the just concluded APC primaries in Rivers State against the party’s governorship candidate, Patrick Tonye-Cole and the APC has again suffered a setback before a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt.

The plaintiff, Bernard Mikko is seeking among other things, an order restraining Tonye-Cole from parading himself as the governorship candidate of the APC, his disqualification for alleged questionable character contained in a white paper report of Rivers State Commission of Inquiry and alleged noncompliance with the electoral act during the primaries.

When the parties arrived in court on Tuesday, the clerk informed the legal representatives of the absence of the presiding judge.

No reason was, however, given for the absence of the judge.

The court was expected to hear an application for joinder filed by another governorship aspirant, Ojukaye Flag-Amachree.

The case was therefore fixed for August 15 for a hearing on the application for joinder.